Events for Members & Friends

Our incredible community of members and friends enjoy regular events including potlucks, social nights, speakers, design challenges, product demos, field trips and more. Become a member or friend today!Stay in the know…

Potlucks & Quarterly Town Halls

Every quarter we gather to share a potluck meal with fellow members and hear from staff & volunteers about our accomplishments and ways you can get involved. These are official business meetings of the organization and voting members are able to bring up new business at the end of each meeting.

Speaker Series

Artisan’s Asylum hosts a regular Speaker Series featuring the stories of our own members and local community leaders and businesses inspiring us by making the world they want to see. Speaker Series events are free for members and Friends of Artisan’s. $10 donation from the public. Check out our Winter/Spring line-up!

Social Nights

Every first and third Thursday of the month in the social area usually between 6-8PM (do check the calendar, as occasionally they are rescheduled due to holidays or other events). Often themed and sponsored by our members, these events offer everyone a chance to kick-back and relax on our social area over some light fare. We sometimes open our social nights for outside sponsorship; past sponsors have included Rapid Metals, OnShape, Circuit Scribe, Metal Supermarkets, Sterritt Lumber, Solidworks and more. Want to sponsor a social night? Let us know!

Field Trips

Upcoming

Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation – Waltham, MA
Spring 2017, Date TBA
Head to one of the best museums dedicated to innovation in the area with fellow Members & Friends! The mission of the Charles River Museum of Industry & Innovation is to encourage and inspire future innovation in America. We do this, through our collections and programs, by exploring the historical impact of industry on American culture, by examining the dynamic process of innovation, by celebrating our location in Waltham as a foundation of the American Industrial Revolution, by connecting the expertise of older generations with the inquisitiveness of young people, and by delighting audiences of all ages with an engaging Museum experience.Learn more about the museum here.

Past

SoWa First Fridays – October 2016
Head to SoWa First Fridays to see the work of Artisan’s Member Liao Fei, a visiting artist from China and Yve Yang Gallery’s current international resident. Meet at the Yve Yang Gallery around 6:30PM. Learn more about Yve Yang Gallery here

American Precision Museum Behind the Scenes Tour – September 2015

Design Challenges

Design Challenges are opportunities for members to create new work for a specific project individually or on teams.

Past Design Challenges

Red Bull FlugTag Promotional Craft Project
August 2016
Red Bull challenged Artisan’s Asylum members to create two Red Bull Flugtag media crafts to use during the Red Bull Flugtag. These two human powered media crafts were piloted by local Boston media personalities the day before the event to generate media coverage and public excitement leading up to the event. Learn more about what it was like to build these on our blog and see one of them in action!

Inside Out Gallery Project
July 2016
Artisan’s Asylum was invited display a collaborative site-specific installation in the Inside–OutGallery in the CVS Windows in Davis Square for the month of July 2016. Coinciding with ArtBeat, the theme of the installation is “Roots”. Learn more about the project here.

Samuel Adams Tap Handle Design Challenge
Fall 2015
Samuel Adams have reached out to our community specifically to find their next tap handle design. After an open submission period, they funded the materials costs for the fabrication of their top picks, and award generous cash prizes. Congratulations to finalists Matthew P Thomas, Jimmie Rodgers, Emily Teich, Sarah Miller and grand prize winner Sean Shinnock.

Business Services (ongoing)

SCORE Mentoring Sessions for Artists & Makers, By Appointment — This is a free service offered to Artisan’s Asylum members and friends. Mentor Alan Milner will be at Artisan’s Asylum for 1 hour sessions by appointment. SCORE is a nonprofit association dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals through education and mentorship. SCORE volunteers provide the specific advice and resources you need through customized, 1-on-1 or team mentoring. Our mentors work with you to identify opportunities and avoid threats to your success. With SCORE, you can feel confident knowing you have an experienced resource available for simple questions or complicated strategy development. Learn more about SCORE on their website. Register for a slot!

Product Design Consultations, Every other Monday; Walk-in and By Appointment — This is a free services offered to Artisan’s Asylum members and friends. If you’ve got a project you’re thinking about developing for mass production, a working prototype, or just a sketch on the back of a napkin,these sessions aim to provide insights into the product development process,from user research and form development to prototyping, tooling and pitching. Consultations area available by appointment, so email abandazian at gmail.com to reserve a half-hour slot.

Business Consulting for Artists & Makers: Office Hours, By Appointment — This is a free service offered to Artisan’s Asylum members and friends. Dan Trajman holds open hours by appointment for anyone who would like consultation on business-related concerns. To make an appointment with Dan, contact him at dtrajman AT post.harvard.edu.

Arts Marketing and Business Development, Wednesdays 6-9pm — Free consultations offered to artists, makers, and craftspeople by Jesa Damora of FunnelCake Marketing. You make your art– then what? Where do you sell it, and to whom, and for how much? How do you put together all the pieces that can make a sustainable art life? These are questions both the beginner and the established professional need to address ongoingly. By appointment. Contact jesa@funnelcakemarketing.com.

Product Demos and Skill Shares

Next up dates coming soon! Please email member-services@ to let us know what products and skills you want to learn about!

Artisan’s Asylum is...

a non-profit makerspace devoted to the teaching, learning and practice of fabrication. Our community shares tools & equipment, offers affordable classes to the public, enjoys flexible membership and workspace, hosts speakers, special events and more.